Mar 17, 2010

Jeremy has started the application process in a seminary program that offers a bachelors program. It's a distance program based out of a western state.He's completed applications, contacts with the president and lined up references. This week he has gotten confirmation that they received the application. But more exciting is that the president responded with Jeremy's projected time line. He'll be able to finish his bachelors in one school year, and move onto the masters program at the seminary he wants . So were still hoping to move to MN this summer to be close to the seminary while he's taking his classes.

This week is spring break for Jeremy. He has painted the living room and shampooed the carpets, and packed much of the living room. It looks bare, but big. We also packed a lot of the den this weekend making room for packed boxes.

Jeremy and Anora are getting a lot of time outdoors too.Blessings to you and your family.

Mar 9, 2010

Well, this past weekend we took a trip up the town we want to move to. We had a meeting with the seminary staff, and it was enlightening. They were able to give us some ideas, help, encouragement, and direction again.Jeremy is working real hard to do what they have recommended, and we could, by God's grace, still be in F.F. in the fall. Jeremy is applying to a seminary that has distance learning and seeing how many credits will transfer and what classes he would have to take distance learning. That seminary can possible provide his BS degree. The seminary we've been aiming for has already approved him to take a couple under grad classes while attending online with a different seminary.It's a little messy, but makes all the sense in the world to us. Please pray this works out. We're excited again for the possibility to move this fall.We also met a new family and now friends. We saw their house and had dinner with them in the possibility that we could maybe rent their house. It was truly a great night and has us excited.

Mar 2, 2010

When my daughter was about two years old, there were certain things that she just plainly refused to eat. Those of you who are parents undoubtedly have gone through this frustrating phase with your own children. With my daughter, it was anything classified under the category of meat. Even such reliable childhood favorites as hot dogs were met with the concise but powerful statement, “don’t like!” Our insistences that meat was good for her and would help her to grow up big and strong fell on deaf ears. They did nothing to convince her that meat was something she had to eat in order to be healthy and energetic. She simply could not get past her initial experience with meat’s taste and texture and therefore she was unable to see its long-term benefits. Nevertheless, we persisted in ensuring that she try new meats, and eventually she became used to eating all kinds of meat, including hot dogs. She doesn’t remember those days anymore, and she has become a kid who will eat just about any kind of food that is put in front of her.

Now, this seems to be an inordinately long analysis of toddler eating habits, however there’s an important message to be learned here. Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about those days as I reflect on some recent disappointments in my own life. Our family has been set back on our heels with some recent news that our future plans have been drastically changed. My first and most tenacious response to these changes is, “don’t like!” I’ve been handed a type of spiritual meat that I’m having troubles choking down, and I would prefer just to push the plate away. But by doing so, I am blinding myself to what benefits God has planned for us through this experience. In a way, I long to be the church at Corinth which Paul writes to in the third chapter of 1st Corinthians. I would prefer being bottle-fed milk rather than to face the difficulties I am facing now. However, God was not content to let the Corinthians be milk-fed and indeed Paul spent much energy admonishing and correcting the Corinthians for the purpose of increasing their strength. If I am going to trust the word of God, when he says in Romans 8:28 that, “All things work together for good to those who love God,” then I must trust that the meat he is feeding me right now is good for me. Like a good father, God wants me to grow big and strong, spiritually.

As I have learned through my daughter, this time of, “don’t like!” will pass, and I’m not likely to remember just how upsetting things are right now. Because of God’s guidance in my life, I will go on to enjoy the spiritual meat that he will continue to feed me. I will relish in its flavor at the moment, and then enjoy the strength it will impart later.

Mar 1, 2010

Back on 2/16 we got some disheartening news. The seminary Jeremy has been planning on attending this summer has discontinued their bachelors program. Whoa, now what? The first week we both just walked around wounded, slightly hunched over holding our stomachs. This past week I was in full problem solving mode, I searched, googled, and dug up info on other seminaries and colleges.Today the skies seem to be clearing. Things are far from solved, but at least we have some possible solutions. I'm willing to have hope in the future again.We will be traveling to F.F. Mn this weekend to meet with some families and staying with good friends. We strongly considered not going, but I'm looking forward to it again.Please pray for our future, and that God will surprise us with some open, welcoming doors.Now that I can even admit what is going on, I'll try to keep all of our friends and family updated.